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Another Tuesday, another veg box. But today was different. Having said no to parsnips - don’t get me wrong, I like a parsnip, but I don’t want them every week and I will get them every week without fail once they’re in season - I got black salsify. I’d only ever seen these earthy black sticks at the fantastic Saturday market that my Father uses in Berlin, but had never actually made the purchase, probably out of sheer unadventurousness. Now there they were and all I needed was a recipe…

There aren’t many, but this one I found in the Gregg Wallace book Veg (published by Mitchell Beazley it’s a fantastically useful alphabetical ordering of most of the veg you’re ever likely to eat and features general method plus a handful of recipes for each). The recipe’s other main ingredient being curly kale means it’s full of worthy vegetation thereby rendering the cream utterly acceptable.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Skill level: Easy
Serves: 2

Ingredients

• butter - 1tbsp - for greasing
• black salsify - 450g - scrubbed
• juice of half a lemon
• salt and black pepper
• curly kale or spinach - 450g - chopped
• vegetable or chicken stock - 150ml
• single cream - 300ml

Pre-heat the oven to 170C/gas mark 3. Butter the inside of a gratin dish.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Peel the salsify and cut into 5cm lengths. Drop them in the boiling water immediately. If you don’t do this they will discolour at an impressive speed (should you decide to peel them and leave them lounging around for a bit before cooking then they should be plunged into acidulated cold water until needed). Cook for ten minutes, until just tender. Drain.

Meanwhile on another ring, put the greens in a large pan with just the water left from their wash and cook for a few minutes, until wilted.

Put the stock, cream and seasoning in a small pan and heat gently until nearly simmering, being sure to keep on stirring.

Place the greens and salsify in the greased gratin dish. Pour the cream mixture over and bake for 45 minutes until brown and bubbling. Serve with warmed baguette.

Verdict: That salsify’s rather good. It has a new flavour that I am pushed to describe in terms of other veg. It’s a bit creamy and slightly nutty but really has a flavour that is its own. Works well with the curly kale and the cream sauce too. Will definitely be having that dish again.

Drink: Fizzy mineral water, trying to be sensible this week, well for a couple of days at least.

Entertainment: An edifying combo of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here on tv and Still Game on DVD.